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Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy is raking in the trophies for his work in "Dreamgirls." Here, as James "Thunder" Early, he performs with backup from the Dreams: Jennifer Hudson, Beyonc

Credit: DREAMWORKS/PARAMOUNT

Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy and Iman got together in a music video for "Remember The Time" in 1992. Remember the time when Murphy launched a singing career? It wasn't as successful as his reign as a comedian, which was launched into the big time during the 1980-81 season of "Saturday Night Live."

Credit: AP Photo

As a singer, Eddie Murphy did have a hit with "Party All The Time," on which he collaborated with the late soul-and-funk artist Rick James. Here, in July 1993, he is pictured singing with the band Psychedelic Soul.

Credit: AP Photo

In the first few movies that he made, Murphy was a revelation. Audiences flocked to see him in "48 HRS" (1982), "Trading Places" (1983) and "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984). But his box office popularity waned in the '90s with such titles as "Vampire in Brooklyn" (1995).

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In "Metro" (1997), Eddie Murphy plays a fast-talking police negotiator who is trying to train a sniper (Michael Rapaport) to become a negotiator, too, while trying to avoid a vengeful bank robber and keep his girlfriend happy. In real life, Murphy was married to model Nicole Mitchell in 1993, and divorced in 2006. They have five children together.

Credit: GETTY

Kelly Preston and Jeff Goldblum are Eddie Murphy's co-stars in "Holy Man" (1998), in which Murphy plays a television evangelist who hooks into home shopping, but also helps Goldblum find true love with Preston. The year before, in 1997, Murphy was pulled over by police, who said Murphy had picked up a male prostitute dressed as a woman. Murphy was never charged with any crime.

Credit: GETTY

In "Bowfinger" (1999) with Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy was a happy surprise to new fans and a relief to old fans. He did not star in the movie, but scored a lot of laughs in the dual role of a smooth movie star and his dorky double.

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Eddie Murphy is known for playing multiple roles in his films. In "The Nutty Professor" (1996), he played no fewer than seven characters. He is shown here in "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" (2000), in which he further developed the family of Sherman Klump.

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"Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" is just one of several films in which Eddie Murphy plays more than one character, often with the help of major make-up. For instance, in "Coming To America" (1988), he played three characters, in addition to the central role of Prince Akeem.

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Eddie Murphy, second from right, arrives at the premiere of "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" July 24, 2000, with his family, including son Myles, wife Nicole, daughter Shane and daughter Bria, in Universal City, Calif.

Credit: LUCY NICHOLSON/AFP/Getty Images

Eddie Murphy took "the Bill Cosby role" in a big-screen version of the old '60s TV series "I Spy" (2002). (Owen Wilson played "the Robert Culp role.") Here, Murphy films a scene for the movie Dec. 13, 2001, at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada.

Credit: GETTY

Eddie Murphy endeared himself to a new generation of movie-goers by providing the voice of the chatty, sassy Donkey in the animated feature "Shrek" (2001). Here, at the premiere for its sequel, "Shrek 2" (2004), Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Cleese, Antonio Banderas and Julie Andrews surround cut-outs of their characters May 8, 2004, at the Mann Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif.

Credit: GETTY IMAGES/Kevin Winter

Eddie Murphy speaks to executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg after arriving for the boxing match between Sergio Mora and Peter Manfredo Jr. during the finale of the reality television show "The Contender" May 24, 2005, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Credit: AP

In one of his many victories for his work in "Dreamgirls," Eddie Murphy holds the trophy he won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, backstage at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 15, 2007. At right is actress Rachel Weisz, who presented him with the honor.

Credit: GETTY IMAGES/Kevin Winter

Here's another shot of Eddie Murphy backstage at the Golden Globes on Jan. 15, 2007.

Credit: GETTY

A couple of weeks later, Eddie Murphy was accepting another award for his work in "Dreamgirls," this one at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 28, 2007, in Los Angeles.